Improvement in the mode of calking the seams of ships, cellars



NITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

. WILLIAM BENNET, or New YORK, vNL Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MODE OE CALKING THE SEAMS 0F SHIPS, CELLARS, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 3,557, dated April 20, 1844.

To 2l/ZZ` whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BENNET, of the city and county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Calking the Seams of Ships,

Cellars, and such Like Purposes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a longitudinal` section of two planks having several wedges placed into the seam of the saine in a position properly entered to commence driving, by which means the calking is effected. Fig. 2 represents a view of several wedges arranged in the order of their being driven into the seam. Figs. 3 and 4 are views of the two kinds of wedges employed by me in calking ships'and cellars. v

The letters of reference in the several draw'- ings represent corresponding parts in each figure.

The nature of myinvention consists in lilling the seams between the planks of which the sides and bottoms of ships and cellars are covered with wooden wedges so formed of a suitable width, thickness, and taper as that every alternate wedge being tapered toward the point edgewise and sidewise and placed between intermediate wedges having their taper edgewise toward the head, but tapering sidewise like the former toward the point,

are placed along in the seam at such distances apart that when driven shall wedge each other edgewise and against the plank sidewise simultaneously, and thus render the seam water-tight.

For a plank ot' three inches thick I use a wedge two and one-half inches wide, four inches long,threeeighths of an inch thick at its head, tapering on its sides to about onesixteenth of an inch at the point, the edges beingtaperi n g about one-halt inch each. For a plank of greater orless thickness the wedge to be varied in length and thickness in due proportion corresponding with the thickness of the plank. These wedges I usually saw out of plank or suitable stuit of a uniform shape and size. The plank are prepared by beveling the outward sides of their edges to it the taper nearly of the wedges themselves.

A A, Fig. l, represent two pieces of plank held together at each end by bands IB B. The wedges o o o a, Fig. l, are first placed into the seam between the planks A A at such a depth as will pinch upon their sides somewhat. The wedges b h b, Fig. l, are then placed into the intermediate spaces between wedges a a o a, and the whole is then driven simultaneous with the wedges in other parallel seams, if any, and thentrimmed off level with the face of the plank.

The wedge a, Fig. 4, I call the inverted wedge, and the wedge b, Fig. 3, the wedge proper. The wedges shown at Fig. 2 show the position ot the wedges at the commencement of being driven. Vhen the wedges b b b are driven down level with the tops of a a c a, their edges will correspond in thickness, pressing upon their sides and upon each other at their edges, and thus attain to a water-tight seam.

In filling a seam by the mode herein described care should be taken to place the inverted wedges at the right distances apart, which is easily determined by the following method: It' the plank is three inches thick and the wedges four inches long, place the inverted wedges at such distances apart as to leave the head of the wedge proper about an inch above the head of the former, and so in a like proportion for any other thickness of plank and length of wedge. l

What I claim as new, and desire to secure in Letters Patent, is

The particular manner in which I combine the two kinds of wedges set forth at Figs. 3 and 4 with the edges of two contiguous plank, forming a seam, as shown at Fig. l, by which the wedges so formed, as described,do wedge themselves water-tight at their edges simultaneous with thefilling of the seam watertight by wedging at their sides, also between the plank forming the sides and bottoms of ships, cellars, and analogous purposes.

' WILLIAM BENNET.

Vitnesses:

HAYWARD A. HARVEY, THos. W. HARVEY. 

